diff --git a/libs/surfaces/control_protocol/basic_ui.cc b/libs/surfaces/control_protocol/basic_ui.cc
index 6a33b96804..9cd8de5d72 100644
--- a/libs/surfaces/control_protocol/basic_ui.cc
+++ b/libs/surfaces/control_protocol/basic_ui.cc
@@ -801,26 +801,44 @@ BasicUI::goto_nth_marker (int n)
 	}
 }
 
-void
-BasicUI::bang (int x, int y)
+ARDOUR::TriggerPtr
+BasicUI::find_trigger (int x, int y)
 {
 	boost::shared_ptr<Route> r = session->get_remote_nth_route (x);
 	if (!r) {
-		return;
+		return TriggerPtr();
 	}
 	boost::shared_ptr<TriggerBox> tb = r->triggerbox();
 
 	if (!tb || !tb->active()) {
-		return;
+		return TriggerPtr();
 	}
 
 	TriggerPtr tp (tb->trigger (y));
 
 	if (!tp) {
-		return;
+		return TriggerPtr();
 	}
 
-	tp->bang ();
+	return tp;
+}
+
+void
+BasicUI::bang (int x, int y)
+{
+	TriggerPtr tp = find_trigger (x, y);
+	if (tp) {
+		tp->bang ();
+	}
+}
+
+void
+BasicUI::unbang (int x, int y)
+{
+	TriggerPtr tp = find_trigger (x, y);
+	if (tp) {
+		tp->unbang ();
+	}
 }
 
 
diff --git a/libs/surfaces/control_protocol/control_protocol/basic_ui.h b/libs/surfaces/control_protocol/control_protocol/basic_ui.h
index 74b5a3e049..efc39c9439 100644
--- a/libs/surfaces/control_protocol/control_protocol/basic_ui.h
+++ b/libs/surfaces/control_protocol/control_protocol/basic_ui.h
@@ -41,6 +41,7 @@ namespace ARDOUR {
 	class Session;
 	class SessionEvent;
 	class Stripable;
+	class Trigger;
 }
 
 class LIBCONTROLCP_API BasicUI {
@@ -164,6 +165,9 @@ class LIBCONTROLCP_API BasicUI {
 	bool loop_button_onoff() const;
 
 	void bang (int x, int y);
+	void unbang (int x, int y);
+	/* it would be nice to use TriggerPtr here but that implies including ardour/triggerbox.h */
+	boost::shared_ptr<ARDOUR::Trigger> find_trigger (int x, int y);
 
   protected:
 	BasicUI ();